April 5th and on

already we are in April…sure feels like it’s going by fast……..now if the weather would just catch up…as in some more sunshine…(feels soooo good when the sun does shine)

well, we do our best to simulate sunshine….such as having Dayna Manning coming in on Thursday April 5th….sharing the evening’s lineup will be Ryan McMahon, from Ladysmith these days…

Friday is a huge treat in that Diamond Joe White does not venture to the stage much these past years,…least not around here …with Nathan Tinkham, we plan on making  this Good Friday a great Friday…

Saturday April 7th is a day for poets or those that wish to be…..a workshop in the afternoon with Slam Poet Jeremy Loveday and a performance in the evening keeps the ‘spoken word’ in the forefront…special guest to end the evening is a visit from Emily Spiller (a must see/hear)

Sunday is a performance in the afternoon for Annie Borch, her monthly visit…come see why I gave her the second Sunday of each month…

Easter Sunday has Bill Bourne returning to the Showroom for one of his extensive musical journeys …..always a treat (and again introducing Emily Spiller)

Monday appears to be a day off and then the monthly Blues Tuesday returns. …always fun

Special Treat….Dianna Braithwaite-Chris Whiteley and friends on Wednesday April 11th will be a stellar evening of entertainment….such a handle on that 40′s -50′s blues genre…..a do not miss concert

and on Friday Kelly Joe Phelps…what can I say….sorry for everyone having to make decisions , but this is another ‘do not miss’ concert….a coup having him return, he has   a huge American following….known for his kinda bluesy/folk acoustic guitar stylings and lyrical content, we trust you will do the homework and become a Kelly Joe fan..

for the younger audiences (under 30…haha) Jeremy Fisher returns…had over 135 viewers on our ‘live stream’ last visit…..cause he connects with his audiences in such a way to make them life long fans

Lena’s Living Room on Sunday the 15th of April keeps that ‘friendly living room jam’ kinda feel in the venue as she brings her musical friends to join her

Dress Rehearsal Tuesday again gives all those looking to get their ‘legs’ a chance….

and lastly on this ‘quick reminder’ is the Lynn Miles concert (with special guest Keith Glass from Prairie Oyster) on Wednesday April 18th….she is a musical treat , they say she can take ‘ being forlorn into a state of grace’

again, sorry for giving everyone too many choices, but there appears to be no reason to not show up for at least one if not more of this months great performances….hope to see you soon

(remember our Showdough deal…..$100 Canadian gets you $120 of Duncan Garage Showroom Showdough)

march 27th and on

just had a great show with Melissa Ruth…do check her out

but Tuesday is For the Love of Words with host Bill Levity….always fun and educational to boot….

wednesday is a dark night as we ready up some computer stuff to better our presentations….

Thursday is Stef Lang returning to the Showroom…what a ball of energy and good…let me tell you….no let the music industry tell you as their heads are turned by this young powerhouse from Ladysmith…(now living in Vancouver)

Friday is is a showcase of two Island singer/songwriters…Danny as a duo and Nicole as a band……indie /rock

Saturday has our local Naomi Payan opening for Jodi Doidge  from Vancouver and both showcasing their latest EP’s

Sunday is the beginning of April with a visit from  Hope King in the afternoon and in the evening is Camille Miller with guitarist Murray Atchison (from the Odds ) joining her….youch…that will be fun

Monday is the visit from Nanaimo’s School of Rock class struttin’ their newness as bands…

Tuesday will be open mic again with drums and bass  guitar amps in place….come join as audience or as a performer

Wednesday is the 4th of April, not yet booked but maybe a movie…we will let you all know as soon as we know…haha

Thursday is Ryan McMahon and his friend Dayna Manning….2 great singer/songwriters in one night

Good Friday is funked up with Coco Jafro…come dig this stuff

Saturday is a poetry workshop….something to do on a long weekendd….sliding scale and then a showcase of your words in the evening performance…

Sunday afternoon is Anna Borch’s monthly Sunday appearance at 2pm and in the evening is my good friend Bill Burne….days gone by as Bourne and McLeod, his solo career his spell binding…. a must witness performance… a great   way to spend Easter Sunday with any guests in town visiting…

Monday ends the long weekend with some young indie/rock/pop worth listening to…

 

remember our ‘live streams’ if you can’t make a concert and please remember our ‘donate ‘ button…thanks

March 14th – 24th

Lots of interesting shows coming March 14th to the 24th…

Wednesday has Kevin Annett giving a talk about residential school abuses he has discovered with implications to established churches that has left him as an outcast from many Canadian institutions… ingest, digest and see what you come up with… 7pm start… by donation.

 

Thursday brings Emily Spiller and her totally cool r&b/soul stylings back to the Showroom… a solo show, she does use her pre-recorded tracks on her computer and then layers her vocals on her loop machine and then rises above to take us on the most memorable r&b and soul journey of your day… haha… really, it is fantastic.

 

Friday is kind of a bluegrass festival… a traditional band in Bluegrass Fever with the more youthful, beer infused punk style bluegrass of Cornshed on second…

 

Saturday sees Danny Keehn of Fairweather Father… a more acoustic version of his writings, Jordon joins in on hand drum and vocals… Larry Hanson is a first nations singer/songwriter from Campbell River and David Joe, local filmmaker is going to shoot a video of the whole evening… all in all it will be a great experience for all those involved.

 

Sunday will have Lena Birtwistle and her musical friends being a part of Lena’s Living Room … a jam kinda atmosphere of various songwriters / spoken word / poets/ mime… if you want… anyway it is about a laid back evening with vision being fun.

 

Monday has two touring acts… one rock, one folk rock-solo… we open our arms to touring artists… take a chance.

 

Tuesday night is Dress Rehearsal once again… if you want to get up for the first time or bring some new material or hash  over some work that needs to be done… very much a community evening.

 

Wednesday is the King of Canadian Comedy…. Mike MacDonald live at the Showroom… be prepared to split a gut…. at least have some holes poked in your realities…. and Matt Billon is gonna get us all in the comedy feel by starting off the night… now should you miss the night, they are at the Crofton Hotel Showcase Venue on Thursday March 22nd at 8pm  $20

 

Friday aids you in your social activism quota achievements… Holly Arntzen and Kevin Wright are full of energy and great tunage that does bring to the forefront the perilous status of our west coast salmon in a most engaging manner… a real musical treat.

 

Saturday at 2pm is young seven year old Stacy Farkas showcasing her singing prowess, yes at seven years old she has prowess… sang to thousands last year on Canada Day… right near the top of the Victoria’s Got Talent series and has a desire to own a piano to further her musical career… and so the showcase to aid in raising that monies.

 

Saturday night will bring a new Victoria based acoustic stringed band called Beacon Hill to our stage for an evening of non-assaultive folk… both originals and traditional tunes.

 

till the next issue…. keep smilin’

 

coming up March

March has come up on us real quick this year…whoosh January/February gone….

well to end February off we have For The Love Of Words on Tuesday February 28th…another way of saying poetry night, Cowichan Folk Guild President Bill Daviey (aka Bill Levity ) hosts this monthly gathering

and heh…an extra day this month means a special visit by Shane Philip, the one man band so to speak,…didgeridoo/guitar/stomp box/hand percussion/djembe/vocals….and oh yeah good vibes…

Thursday starts off March with Beverley McKeen and friends…this local singer/songwriter has put together some killer musicians to highlight her great songwriting skills ….looking forward to this concert

Friday will see Sidney York arrive at the doorstep… 3 gals who were band geeks re discover each other on a flight and get back together with a new group exploring their musical history with new leaps and bounds….and Reid Williams is going to open…how cool is that.

Saturday has the duo’s of Flaming Skulls and Hearse, two rockabilly bands that are high energy

Sunday March 4th starts with Hope King’s monthly visit and then in the evening we see  singer/songwriter Anne Schaeffer, from Victoria these days, bringing her South American influenced tunage to the Showroom in a long overdue visit….so warmly jazzy…and great players joining her…

Monday is Lena’s Living Room….a bunch of girls get together creatively to explore their musical routes….very much fun

Tuesday March 6th is our first Dress Rehearsal of the month and hopes that new as well as veterans take the time to come out and perform…a friendly atmosphere

Wednesday is an evening off for us….ahhhh maybe go out for supper then take it easy…. a dream

Thursday is Steve McKinnon showcasing the material on his soon to be made public and long awaited CD, he has Marty Jones and Zak Cohen joining him

Friday March 9th is the return of David Vest…one of my new found friends…an amazing veteran boogie woogie piano player and story teller….a very relaxing evening of entertainment ( it will make those toes tap and fingers snap, I promise)

Saturday has Silva Sound from Saltspring bring their dub/fusion/rock wanting you to experience their sounds …a good thing to do on a Saturday night…

Sunday afternoon is Anna Borch’s monthly visit at 2pm (a young singer/songwriter who shows a whole bunch of promise)

The Sunday evening is free as we speak but that could always change…and usually does

but to end off this installment Monday night’s jazz performance by Eric St Laurent Trio is ‘a not to miss concert’ so be here

anyway till later …enjoy your life and do your best to include live performance in your scheduling

Valentine’s Day and on

Blues Tuesday is always a blast and some new players in town have been showing up…

Wednesday is the first visit for In Media Res….a venture into music noire…from Vancouver

it is also the anniversary of a very Blue Valentine. the passing of Willie P. Bennett …so please play or listen to some Willie P. on this day….you will be glad you did…

Thursday has another Vancouver band crossing the straits to perform at the Showroom, Willy Blizzard…alternative /folk/roots music…2 guitars and a stand up bass

Friday is for the young of heart and ears as it is another evening of island hip/hop…these guys tell their stories in rhyme and beats…very cool

Saturday has The Midnight Hours returning with their style of blues that is some where influenced by rock and reggae…from Vancouver as well, they are one of my picks to not miss…

Sunday afternoon has an EP release by Naomi Payan ….recently moved to the valley (over 2 years ago) from France with her family, she already has a large fan base of new relatives…

Monday is Lena’s Living Room… an evening where Lena and some of her gal pals get together and jam out as in their living room…spontaneous and carefree…and inviting to join in if you so choose

Tuesday Dress Rehearsal is worth the night out be it for new talent or to get up yourself

Wednesday is going to be another Community Scrabble Night…so bring your board and tiles and lets scrabble down….more for fun than serious, we do have a corner for the full contact too serious players…haha

Thursday the 25th has Craig Cardiff, Juno nominated this year, performing a double bill with Ladysmith’s Ryan McMahon…a singer/songwriters kinda night

Friday has Flora WAre returning…cause I wanted to her….cool funkified jazzy r&b with roots influences….just too cool

Saturday is for the country fans as Shelly Dubois proceeds with her final tour of the Valley before heading off to reside in Alberta

Sunday afternoon is Youth Dress Rehearsal, a time set aside for youth to get on the stage…and in the evening the grown up kids get on the stage as in Chasing Satellites…youch they are fun….rock project worth catching

and hopefully I will stay on top this blog from here on in …later L.J.

The Showroom schedule reminder for Jan. 26th -Feb. 3rd

2012 and already the month of January is almost over…is it because we are having so much fun?   I hope so…at least in retrospect

anywho Thursday night has a two solo acts that work on monster projects, intricate selections of sounds to get their individual messages out there…one of those take the chance  and you will not be disappointed

Friday has Chris Ronald coming to town…an England born Vancouverite, he is known for his vocal prowess….a songwriter as well, his passions are laid out in his music

Saturday is a rock out night with Stone Vaughn Toole from Ladysmith and Midnite Hours (rock/roots/reggae) from Vancouver….a wonderful rock- ish journey

Sunday has Chris Watoski coming over from Vancouver with his band to showcase the great tunage he has created…check out his links and see if you want to be here

Monday sees local young folk rockers The Royal Canadians opening for Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk….another link referral on this one….let them explain themselves

For The Love Of Words falls on the last day of the month as well as the last Tuesday this month…Bill Levity hosts this evening of poetry/prose and all things spoken…

Wednesday has the youth infused ‘hobo’ music…from Pender Island , it is organic…and fun

Thursday is Jeff Pike aka Windborn…the band is absent for this date but it is all his material and he does deliver oh so well…has  a fan base on the island so you wont be alone if you come to the show

Friday is the long awaited return of Gerry Barnum….using roots/blues to trap you in, he takes you on a musical journey that soothes your soul…yes you could say soul music….

much more coming up so stay tuned

and soon to the public…Friends of The Showroom membership cards….for $50 a year you can support the Showroom and receive one free beverage or popcorn for each performance you attend, receive advance ticket price even if you show up at the door (if there is room) as well as advance notice to any of the big shows coming up…also allows you to request ‘ducked’ seating…sign up and I will tell you more …

till later L.J.

the Showroom schedule reminder for Jan. 26th- Feb. 3rd

2012 and already the month of January is almost over…is it because we are having so much fun?   I hope so…at least in retospect

anywho Thursday night has a two solo acts that work on monstor projects, intricate selections of sounds to get their individual messages out there…one of those take the chance  and you will not be dissappointed

Friday has Chris Ronalad coming to town…an England born Vancouverite, he is known for his vocal prowess….a songwriter as well, his passions are laid out in his music

Saturday is a rock out night with Stone VAughn Toole from LAdysmith and Midnite Hours (rock/roots/reggea) from Vancouver….a wonderful rock journey

Sunday has Chris Watoski coming over from Vancouver with his band to showcase the great tunage he has created…check out his links and see if you want to be here

Monday sees local young folk rockers The Royal Canadians opening for Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk….another link referral on this one….let them explain themselves

For The Love Of Words falls on the last day of the month as well as the last Tuesday this month…Bill Levity hosts this evening of poetry/prose and all things spoken…

Wednesday has the youth infused ‘hobo’ music…from Pender Island , it is organic…and fun

Thursday is Jeff Pike aka Windborn…the band is absent for this date but it is all his material and he does deliver oh so well…has  a fan base on the island so you wont be alone if you come to the show

Friday is the long aawaited return of Gerry BArnum….using roots/blues to trap you in, he takes you on a musical journey that soothes your soul…yes you could say soul music….

much more coming up so stay tuned

and soon to the public…Friends of The Showroom membership cards….for $50 a year you can support the Showroom and receive one free beverage or popcorn for each performance you attend, you receive advance ticket price even if you show up at the door (if there is room) as well as advance notice to any of the big shows coming up…also allows you to request ‘ducked’ seating…sign up and I will tell you more …

till later L.J.